


You're the Sun and I'm Icarus, Except This Time I'm Not Going Down

by thatonedudewiththename



Series: Jack's a Little Different [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hair stylist!jack, M/M, Septiplier - Freeform, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-08 22:40:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4323537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonedudewiththename/pseuds/thatonedudewiththename
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Jack had to describe what being with Mark was like in one sentence, it would be: "I love to make you smile, and it's the only thing I'll ever want to do."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is the reason im losing years of my lifespan every time i write it

Another day of work, another day of cutting the hair of kids and old people- that seemed to be the majority of the clientele that came into the hair salon where Sean, or Jack, worked.  
It wasn't like he minded; the cuts were fairly simple and he usually had a lot of free time between customers, so it wasn't all bad, it just got... boring. Seeing the same age range of people every day. Hell, even his coworkers weren't his age, they were all almost fifteen to twenty years older than he was. Sometimes it sucked to be in your twenties.

Today, Jack was wearing his favourite black, long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows and the old reliable jeans that were so worn out but fit him so well he couldn't bear to throw them out. On his feet were a pair of black Converse, in his ears were red gauges, and on his wrists were a watch and some braided bracelets- as for his hair, he just left it be.  
When he got to the salon for his shift, he put on his apron and checked the computer to see who was next to be served. "April?" He called, looking up.  
"That's me." It was a woman who looked to be in her forties with brown hair that looked like someone took a weed whacker to. "I hope my hair can be saved," She said.  
"I'll see what I can do." Jack replied optimistically, leading her to his workstation.

His next few clients were all kids ages four to ten, except for one old man who wanted a shave. After that, he went on break to the Subway two stores over and had lunch for twenty minutes before heading back, getting to sit and play a video game on the PSP he got for his birthday for a while, until the ding of the bell above the front door signalled a customer. Away went his video game and up he walked to the front, almost being taken aback by the sight of a very attractive and _young_ man waiting at the desk: he was of average height, but had a muscular build that was accentuated by the tight, light blue shirt he wore and his fitted, dark skinny jeans that led to a pair of very cool but odd blue shoes. He had golden brown skin, a strong jaw that was heavily stubbled, and small eyes that shimmered- his dark hair was swept up, but kept falling in his face, which was the cutest thing ever. Jack felt his cheeks warm and heart speed up. "Hello! What can I do ya fer today?" He asked, somehow retaining his professional composure.  
The man smiled warmly upon laying eyes on Jack, which didn't help the stylist's nervous disposition in the least. "A haircut, er, a trim, really." The man answered. He scratched the back of his neck, making the muscles in his arm and chest flex.  
Jack screamed internally. Externally, he nodded and started typing on the computer. "I can do t'at. Have you been wit' us before?"  
"Yes, but not here. I would've remembered an accent like yours."  
Jack laughed somewhat nervously at the compliment, glancing briefly at the guy with a smile. "T'at's kind of ya to say, Mr...?"  
"Fischbach. But you can call me Mark."  
"Ahm," Jack quickly typed in the name and brought up the guy's info, signing him in. "Well, Mark, if ya could come on back, we can get started on your hair."  
"Alrighty."  
Jack walked back to his station and turned the chair so Mark could sit down. When he had, he turned it back to face the mirror, holding the back of the chair and looking at him. "So, what is it ya want done?"  
"Uhm," Mark motioned around his head. "I just want it nice and tight, yaknow? Like, the same style, but shorter."  
"By how much, like-" Jack held up a lock of Mark's soft, deep, deep brown hair and held it between two fingers. "-about here?"  
Mark eyed the length a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, seems about right."  
"Alright, cool, if you'd come wit' me, I'll get yer hair wetted before we cut."  
"Sounds good! Lead the way, uh..." Mark paused by the chair he'd stood up from. "I never got your name."  
Rubbing the back of his neck, Jack told him, "It's Sean. Or Jack, eit'er one."  
Mark's smile grew somehow brighter and he held out his hand to shake. "Nice to meet you, Sean."  
Jack shook the proffered hand, the softness and warmth sending shivers up his arm to run down his spine; the feeling made him pull his hand away much quicker than he'd intended to, making Mark give him a strange look. His cheeks flushed and he turned away. "Th-this way, Mark." He said, his voice cracking. Mark said nothing but followed him all the same, sitting down in the seat for the hair washing sinks, placing his neck where it was supposed to be and allowing his head to hang out into the basin. Jack pulled the towel up around the man's neck, and then turned on the water, sticking his finger in the spray to feel the water temperature- too cold, so he waited, glancing down at Mark, who was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. That caused his heart to skip, his eyes quickly diverting their gaze elsewhere; once the water was warm enough, he began to soak Mark's unbelievably soft hair with the hose, running his fingers through it to make sure he wetted everything. As he was doing this, he noticed that Mark was still watching him. "Ya can close yer eyes, it's easier."  
"The view's pretty nice from here."  
Jack's grip on the hose head tightened and his eyes opened wider; did this guy really just..?  
In order to save himself from embarrassment, he didn't comment on it and just kept wetting Mark's hair, then shampooing it before rinsing it again and then drying with a towel. "Done here, let's get to cutting." He said, beginning the walk back to the station. He heard Mark quicken his pace in order to catch up to him.  
"Hey, did I say something wrong?" Mark asked, seeming concerned.  
Jack sighed inaudibly and shook his head. "No, let's just move on wit' your haircut, sir."  
At being called 'sir', Mark furrowed his brows and took a small step back, his whole body seeming to turn away from Jack, as though he had just had his soul stepped on. "... A-alright."  
Jack was cringing so hard his neck hurt. "Sorry... Mark. I'm jest not used to compliments."  
Mark's posture relaxed, like he was relieved. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."  
"It's alright," Jack smiled a little. He motioned to the chair. "Sit, would ya kindly."  
"Right! Right."  
Mark got settled and Jack wrapped the apron around him, leaving the towel he'd used to dry his hair around the back of his neck to catch the hairs that fell there. He picked up his comb and began to comb back Mark's hair, parting it down the middle and then combing it to either side. After that, he picked up his scissors, took a chunk of Mark's hair between his fingers, and began to snip. There was silence between them except for the sound of hair being cut, Jack concentrating on keeping the style of Mark's hair while he trimmed it, Mark watching him as he worked.  
Jack got the back done and was starting on the right side when Mark asked, "So, Sean, where are you from?"  
"Athlone, in Ireland." Jack answered absentmindedly.  
"Was it nice there?"  
"Rained a lot, but t'e people were pretty friendly."  
Mark began to nod, but then stopped after Jack gave him a look. Going back to cutting his hair, Sean questioned, "What about you, Mark? Where'd ya come from?"  
"I was born in Hawai'i, but I grew up in Cincinnati."  
"Quite'a move."  
"Yeah, it was weird, 'cause neither my mom or my dad had family there. You'd think we would've lived in Korea or something, but nope."  
Jack's ears perked up in interest at the mention of Korea. "Oh, you're Korean?"  
"Half, yeah. On my mom's side."  
"I act'lly wanted t'e ask ye what ya were, but I didn't want'a be rude."  
Mark laughed, a warm sound that caused Jack's stomach to flutter. "I wouldn't've minded. I don't get asked often."  
Jack smiled, just stroking a lock of Mark's hair for a bit as he looked at him in the mirror. Once he realized what he was doing, he turned his attention back to his work. "So, do ya know any Korean?"  
"I'm learning it now, as a matter of fact. I'd like to actually be able to talk with my family."  
"I know some Korean. I learned it when I was datin' my ex-girlfriend."  
"Do you know any other languages?"  
"Some Irish, but I'm pretty shit at it."  
Jack laughed, Mark chuckling along with him. Jack moved around to Mark's left side and started returning the style back to his hair with his texturizing shears. It was Mark who struck the conversation back up. "If you don't mind my asking, Jack, how old are you?"  
"Twenty-five. Yerself?" Jack answered.  
"Just turned twenty-six a couple weeks ago."  
For some reason, Jack felt a rush of excitement spread through his insides rapidly at finding out that Mark was only a year older than he was. "Really? Didya do anyt'in' fun fer ya birthday?"  
"I was at a convention for the weekend, and since it was also my friend's anniversary, they were there, too, so we went out to Dave  & Buster's to celebrate."  
"Sounds like a great time!"  
"Yeah, it was." Mark eyed Jack in the mirror. "What about you?"  
"Pardon?"  
"What do you do for fun, I mean."  
"Oh. Ahm, I play video games, watch movies. I don't act'lly..." Jack faltered a bit. "Have any friends."  
"What? A nice guy like you? Nuh uh!"  
Jack laughed airily and blushed for the third time that day. "I don't get out much, and since I just moved to America I don't really know anyone, yaknow?"  
Mark smiled brightly. "Well, now you do."  
The two men made eye contact for the second time, but this time, Jack wasn't the one to look away first; Mark did, his cheeks turning red, clearing his throat as his walnut brown eyes flitted to stare at the wall. Jack's lips pulled up into a small smile and he continued texturizing. "So, d'ya got a job, Mark?"  
At the mention of employment, Mark seemed to close up. "Uh, yeah."  
"What d'ya do?"  
"I uh, I work from home, online. I'm a content creator for a company."  
"Oh, like graphic design, or..?"  
"Media."  
Jack nodded in understanding, kind of impressed. "T'at's pretty cool, dude. Better t'an my job, not t'at I'm complainin' er nothin'. It's cooler."  
"I guess." Mark smiled; it was crooked, pulling up to the right, one eye crinkling more than the other. It was the most attractive thing Jack had ever seen. "I actually went to college for engineering, but it just wasn't for me."  
"I got me bachelor's in hotel management," Jack began, "Now lookit me."  
Mark made a funny face. "Why'd ya go for that?"  
"I was plannin' ta move to Korea to be wit' my ex, and ya gotta have some kinda business degree fer that, so I chose HM."  
"Hmm." Mark shrugged. "Makes sense."  
"Ay!" Jack swatted him lightly on the shoulder- more of a tap, really. "Quit yer movin', you're gonna make me mess up."  
"Sorry." Mark chuckled.  
Jack smiled in return, clipping at the last lock of hair with his shears. He put his comb and texturizers away, then took up his razor, plugging it in, swapping out the end, and then turning it on, buzzing first Mark's sideburns, then the lower back part of his hair, and then swapping out the end for a smaller one so he could shape his hairline and trim up his sideburns. After that, he picked up the hand mirror and turned Mark around so he could check his hair. "Yay or nay?" He asked.  
Mark ran his hand through his hair, turning his head this way and that; when Jack saw his hands, his eyes widened slightly and he coughed- they were so... He comically tugged at the collar of his shirt. Mark didn't seem to notice his predicament and smiled widely at him, handing him back the mirror. "It looks great! You did a fantastic job." He said brightly.  
"T'ankya! Lemme just clean ya off, t'en yer done." Jack told him.  
He used a soft, synthetic-haired brush to clear the hair from Mark's face and neck, then took off the apron and removed the towel, Mark standing up and swiping his hand through his hair again. Jack strode back to the front desk and began typing on the computer, seeing Mark out of the corner of his eye come around to stand in front of him on the other side, taking out his wallet. "What do I owe ya?" He asked.  
"Ten fifty." Jack told him, taking up a card from a pile on the desk. "Wouldya care ta fill out a performance feedback card so we can know how ta better serve ya in th' future?"  
Mark beamed, handing over a ten dollar bill and two quarters. "Sure! Got a pen?"  
He was given a pen, he bending a little to fill out the card using the desk, and then write something on the back before sliding it over to Jack with a kind of nervous grin and posture. "Well, I guess I'll see you around." He said.  
Jack smiled a little. "I hope so!"  
And then Mark left, twiddling his fingers, his walk more of a shuffle.  
When he was gone, Jack read the card; on the front was the small questionnaire plus a comments section, which Mark had written "Great service! Very friendly and skilled." under, but then on the back was... Mark's cell number, and a note that asked, "Wanna have lunch sometime?"  
A bubble of excitement rose up inside Sean upon seeing that- he actually... he actually got asked out... on a date. He held the card tightly and hopped up and down in place, giggling like an idiot. 

When his shift was over, he drove back to his apartment as fast as he could without breaking the law and rushed up to his place, taking out his phone and texting Mark his answer. _"Hey its jack from the salon. Id love to have lunch with you!"_  
Not a minute later, he received a text back. _"Im glad! When are you free?"_  
_"Im off for the next three days"_  
_"How does the day after tomorrow at one sound?"_  
_"Sounds great!"_  
_"Awesome!! Ill text you the details l8r, im kinda in the middle of something :)"_  
_"Okay! :D"_  
Jack set his phone down on his kitchen table and covered his face, feeling unbelievably giddy for the first time in forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets mcFREAKIN LOSE IT
> 
> If enough ppl want ill post more chapters


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the date; Jack's a little overzealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm literally in love with this story.

Today was the day.

Jack woke up to the sound of his phone ringing and to the feeling of lethargy in his limbs that he usually got when he slept in too long. Almost completely out of it, he sat up and felt around for his phone on the nightstand by his bed, picking it up and answering the call without bothering to see who it was. "'llo?" He mumbled.  
_"Jack! Hey! I'm here at the restaurant, are you on your way?"_  
Jack was confused for a minute; restaurant? Huh? But then the voice registered in his mind and his eyes shot open wide, his right hand shooting out to grab his watch and check the time.  
_It was 1:10 PM._ He was supposed to be meeting Mark for lunch right now! _"Shit!_ Mark! I-" He rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. "Mark, I'm sorry, I musta slept through my alarm 'r somet'in', I just woke up. I-I'll hurry up and get over t'ere, okay?" His tone was nearly desperate- he didn't want to miss this date! He really liked Mark and would hate himself forever if he screwed it up with him because of his own lack of intelligence.  
There was a light chuckle on the other end of the line. _"How about I just bring you lunch and we eat at your place, huh? That way you don't have to rush in getting ready."_ Mark offered.  
"Yeah... yeah, OK. I'll text ye my address." Jack agreed, nodding. "I'll go get ready now."  
_"Alrighty. See ya in a bit."_  
"See ye."  
Once Jack had hung up, he slapped his hand over his face and groaned again; figures he'd fuck up doing something as simple as going out for lunch. Whatever, at least Mark didn't seem to mind much...  
Sighing, he texted Mark his address, then set his phone down so he could hurry and grab some fresh clothes and take a shower, scrubbing his body and washing and conditioning his hair, trimming his goatee all while brushing his teeth- multitasking was something he did well, fortunately. After his shower, he dried off and threw on some deoderant and cologne, jumping into his clothes and styling his hair by a push of his hand through it. When that was done, he ran around his small apartment, attempting to clean up as much as he could: throwing dirty clothes into the hamper, stuffing the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher, spraying air freshener in each room, opening up the blinds to let some light in so it didn't seem like a tomb in there, flipping the sofa cushions, and wiping off each surface he laid eyes on.  
Just as he'd finished cleaning the kitchen counter, there was a knock at his front door. He involuntarily let out a yelp of excitement and surprise, tossing the rag to some obscure corner of his kitchen, pushing up the sleeves of his red v-neck and touching up his hair before smiling and opening the door.  
Mark stood on the other side, looking absolutely angelic in his (again) tight, low-cut, black shirt, those jeans and shoes he wore the day they met, and with his bright, crooked grin that made it seem as though he were glowing from within. Jack sighed at the sight of him before managing to regain his composure. "Hey!" He greeted. "You made it!"  
Mark nodded and hopped in place a little bit. "Of course! It'd be stupid to cancel something I've been looking forward to over such a small thing." He replied. He looked past Jack into the apartment and motioned inside. "So, gonna let me in, or..?"  
"Oh! Right." Jack stepped aside and allowed Mark in, watching him enter with blue eyes roaming over his figure. "Ahm, I'm sorry again fer sleeping in. Usually my alarm wakes me up, but I guess I was tired 'r somet'in'."  
"No, it's no problem at all! Could've happened to anybody," Mark turned to him with a smirk. "I'm surprised it wasn't me who slept in, I'm always so tired."  
Jack took the doggy bags of food from Mark and headed to the dining room, his date trailing after him, not seeing him give him the same appreciative once-over. "From working a lot?" The Irishman asked.  
"Not necessarily. I do a lot of stuff in my free time, like just a few weeks ago I was at this shoot for a musical I was acting in-"  
At the mention of acting, Jack whipped around to stare at Mark in shock. "You're an _actor?"_  
Mark chuckled, those flutteries rising back up in Jack's stomach. "Not professionally, it was just something a friend asked me to do. Nothing major." He clarified.  
Jack sighed in relief, placing a hand over his heart. "You scared me! T'ought you were even better than me t'an ye already were."  
Mark furrowed his brows quizzically, making Jack explain his joke. "I was kiddin', Mark. 'Cause ye were already so great, so if ya had been an actor, you woulda been even better t'an me."  
"So, it was like putting me above you."  
Jack grimaced a little. "Well, when ya put it that way..."  
"You don't have very high self-esteem, do you?"  
Shrugging and poking at the doggy bags Mark had brought, Jack didn't reply vocally, instead letting his slumped posture do the talking. He felt Mark place his hand on his and hold it; he looked up at him to find those dark brown eyes full of... what was that? Longing? Jack wasn't sure, but it made his heart race. Mark took one of the doggy bags and opened it, removing the contents of it before sitting down in one of the dining room chairs. "C'mon, let's eat, I'm starving."

Lunch was Italian- calzones and a small cheesecake for the two of them to share, plus a couple cans of soda. They talked mostly about video games and places they'd like to visit, TV shows they liked, and when Mark found out that Jack wasn't much of a reader he recommended him some of his favourite books.  
They moved to the sofa and Jack turned on the stereo, plugging his phone into the speakers so he could play some music. When he'd done that, he sat back down, Mark handing him a stick of gum, he already chewing his own. Jack accepted it and popped it in his mouth.  
He chewed absentmindedly, trying to think of something to say or do instead of them just sitting there in silence, but before he could come up with anything, Mark slid his hand into his again, saying quietly, "Sean."  
Sean lifted his gaze from their interwoven fingers to Mark's face in order to respond, only to find that the darker skinned male was really, _really_ close to him, like, inches. His whole face flared red. "M-Mark, what..." He mumbled  
"I really like you, y'know," Mark almost whispered; he was completely flushed and slightly shaking. "Like, a lot."  
Before Jack could reply, Mark closed the gap and pressed his lips to his. Jack let out a tiny whimper- it had been literally years since he'd kissed anybody, and it was exciting him more than it probably should. He slid a hand into Mark's hair and tugged lightly, loving the feeling of the soft strands slipping through his fingers. Mark was groaning, cupping the sides of Jack's face with his hands, trying to keep the kiss chaste but failing miserably; Jack pressed himself into Mark, moving to straddle him, moaning lightly, slipping his right hand under Mark's shirt to ghost over his abdomen. Mark gasped at the sudden lapful of Jack he received and the skin-on-skin contact and pulled back from the kiss. "Jack, J-ack, slow down a little." He breathed. "It's only our first date."  
"Sorry, I'm sorry, I-I didn't meanta-" Jack panted. He could feel his pants tightening and it made him even more flustered, especially when he saw that Mark had noticed it.  
"Excited?" Mark's voice was a rumble from his chest, the tone sending shockwaves through Jack's body, straight down to his dick.  
He nodded and managed to whine, "Y-yeah, I'm sorry, i-it's just been a... really long time."  
Mark did that lopsided grin again, his messy hair falling in his face, pink cheeks and swollen lips somehow making him even more attractive. "For me, too."  
Jack found that hard to believe, but then again Mark didn't seem the type to go out and pick up strangers to bang. The thought only turned him on more. "D-d'ya want me t' move?"  
In answer, Mark leaned in to kiss him again, but then his phone went off. "Shit, I forgot to turn off the ringer." He hissed under his breath.  
Jack got off of him, the movement causing friction in his jeans, ripping a breathless moan from him, biting his lower lip to keep from making any more noise. Mark took out his phone and swore again. "I'm sorry, Jack, I've been so absentminded lately that I forgot I have vocal lessons today." He grumbled.  
"Oh," Jack twisted his mouth up, "so you gotta go?"  
"Yeah, I'm sorry."  
Mark stood up, prompting Jack to do, as well, however uncomfortably; smiling, Mark held Jack's hand and looked him in the eyes. "Let's do this again sometime, yeah?"  
Jack nodded, grinning, his eyes sparkling. "Totally."  
Quickly, Mark gave him a peck on the lips before turning and walking to the front door, waving goodbye, and then leaving.  
Jack's legs wobbled, causing him to support himself on the back of the sofa, his breathing shuddering. God, Mark was so... he was so attractive, so smart, so funny, so charming, so...  
Unsteadily, he stood up straight and waddled to his bathroom so he could rid himself of the boner straining against his pants; he didn't even pretend that he didn't think of Mark when he came.

∆

Jack was playing Dishonoured and eating some leftovers around noon the next day when there was a knock at his door. "Just a second!" He yelled, pausing his game and vaulting over the back of his sofa to slide up to the front door, peeking through the peephole to see who it was; a guy in a uniform carrying something in his hands was stood outside, waiting patiently. Jack furrowed his brows and unlocked and opened his door, almost immediately receiving an armful of prettily wrapped flowers. "Ahm..?" He questioned.  
"Sean, right?" The guy asked, reading from a clipboard.  
"Yea..." Jack mumbled, face contorted into an expression of confusion.  
"These are for you. Sign here, please."  
Jack signed on the dotted line. The guy read the signature, decided it was enough, and then left, mumbling to himself about his schedule, leaving Jack confused but flustered at the gift he'd received. He turned back into his apartment, closing the door with his foot, picking the card out of the bouquet and opening it so he could read the message. 

_"Sorry for having to cut our date short yesterday. I hope this makes up for it. ♥_  
_– Mark  
_ _P.S: Are you free tonight?"_

A warm, sort of soothing feeling swam through Sean's insides, leaving him breathless and lightheaded; how in the world did he manage to be charming enough to get this guy to like him? It was all so unreal, like, at any moment, he could wake up and come to find that his time with Mark was all a dream.  
The flowers were beautiful, though, lots of pinks and purples- roses and lavender and other flowers he couldn't name but had a lot of petals. The scent of them was intoxicating and filled the whole apartment. Jack dug through his cupboards for something he could put them in and found a large vase behind his blender and used that, filling it with cold water and setting it in the middle of his dining room table, removing the wrapping from the bouquet before sticking it in the vase- they just barely fit.  
He played with the soft petals of one rose between his fingers as he texted Mark a thanks. _"Thanks for the flowers mark they r really pretty"_  
Not long after, Mark replied. _"Im glad you like them! Did you see the card?"_  
_"Yeah i saw it. Youre forgiven :P"_ Jack sent another text. _"And yes im free tonight"_  
_"Great!! Do you want to hang out?"_  
_"Absolutely!"_  
_"Awesome ill pick you up around six?"_  
_"Works for me :)"_  
_"Cool! Id love to stay and chat but ive got to finish this thing im working on before tonight. See ya :D"_  
_"See ya"_  
Setting his phone down, Jack sighed wistfully, picking the flower he'd been playing with out of the bunch and twirling it between his pointer finger and thumb, sniffing it and smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im hopping right into the next chapter, so expect it either later tonight or early tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

On their fourth date a week later, Mark took Jack to a small concert.

It was of some band Jack had never heard of a few miles from anywhere in a park, one of the only places in Southern California where you could actually see the stars at night. The music was a little slow for Jack's taste, but the crowd was calm and it was beautiful out, so he didn't mind.  
He and Mark were sprawled out on a blanket up the hill from the concert; there were other couples nearby, as well, cuddling or kissing, or just enjoying the music together. Mark had his hand in Jack's, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of his hand; it was nice.  
Jack turned his attention from the band onstage to Mark and felt the wind get knocked out of him at the sight of him. God, he was beautiful, especially under moonlight- ethereal, almost. Somehow, Jack felt that each time he laid eyes on Mark, he fell even more for him. It was a cliché thing to say, but Jack was a romantic, always had been, so it was entirely possible.  
He was still staring when Mark looked at him, brown eyes shimmering from the lights from the stage. He smiled and squeezed Jack's hand. "You enjoying the concert?" He asked.  
"Yeah, I am." Jack answered, grinning brightly. "T'ank you fer bringing me."  
"Well, I remember you said you like music, and since I had the tickets already, I thought I'd bring you."  
Jack furrowed his brows. "Were ye gonna bring someone else?"  
Mark nodded. "My friend Suzy. Her husband sprung something on her last-minute so she couldn't come. I hope you don't mind."  
Jack shook his head. "It's nice that you t'ought of me."  
Mark's smile grew wider and he kissed Sean half on his lips and half on his cheek, making Jack giggle a little. But then, the kisses travelled sideways and down, to his neck, and that giggle turned into sighs, the hand Sean had had supporting himself moving around to settle on the nape of Mark's neck. The hand of Mark's that wasn't holding Jack's went to Jack's side, gliding over it over his hoodie, his thumb rubbing. His touch was gentle, sensual, and it sent shivers all throughout Jack's body- or maybe that was the cool breeze that was blowing through the park. Who knew.  
The kisses Mark was placing on his neck were going to make Jack become loud, so even though he didn't want to, he stopped Mark by pushing lightly on his shoulder. "Mark, Mark, you gotta..." He breathed.  
Mark pulled back and looked at Sean in the eyes. "What? Something wrong?" He asked, concern edging his voice.  
"No, no, it's just- I'm kinda... too loud, to do t'is in public."  
Jack was looking down at the blanket, his whole face red, fingers clutching the cloth and grass under his hands. Mark was still smiling his small smile, still holding Jack via hand and hip. "I guess it'll just have to wait, then." He said quietly.  
What he said was suggestive, but then again that could've just been Sean's own dirty mind. Mark pecked him on the lips, then turned his attention back to the show, the band beginning a new song; it was slower than their other ones, more romantic sounding. Jack could see a few people in the crowd and around them dancing with their friends or significant others. "D'ya wanna dance wit' me?" He blurted out to Mark.  
The other male grinned. "Yeah!"  
Jack stood up and pulled Mark with him, Mark falling into him with a giggle, "You're so strong."  
"I'm not, really, you're just light." Jack replied.  
Mark placed his hands on Jack's waist and started to sway to the tune of the music, Jack wrapping his arms around his shoulders and leaning in, resting his forehead against Mark's. Mark was humming, and then he started to sing along with the music quietly.  
_"In a few days you’ll be gone_  
_You’re so easily lost_  
_Burnt your scent into my throat_  
_I can taste you_  
_I can taste you"_  
Jack thought Mark's voice was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. 'He can sing, too? Is there anything he can't do?' He thought.  
Mark had his eyes closed, a small smile on his face, pulling Jack in closer to him, sliding one hand up to between his shoulder blades, the other settling on the small of his back just above his butt. He started to sing again.  
_"Love dazed, love dazed, love dazed_  
_Love dazed, love dazed, love dazed"_  
The song ended, the crowd cheering. Mark stopped swaying to kiss Jack, the intimacy making Jack's head spin. "Let's get out of here, hm?" Mark suggested in a deeper register than his normal voice was. The sound was riveting.  
"Yeah... Okay." Jack mumbled.  
With that crooked grin that always whipped up the insides of Sean, he grabbed the blanket from the hillside and folded it, holding hands with Jack as they walked back to the parking lot where Mark's car was. It was a long walk, and quiet, only the low, distant rumbling of the concert they were leaving behind; the sky was clear and full of stars, a waxing moon shining down from overhead. It was nice out, only a small breeze to rustle their hair and coats. Jack couldn't feel the cold when he was with Mark. It was like everything was better when he was around.  
Tugging on his hand halted Jack in his steps, the force turning him around. "Mark?" He questioned, stepping closer to him. "What's up?"  
"Nothing," Mark answered. "You just look really pretty right now."  
Sean flushed and diverted eye contact. "Versus any ot'er time?"  
"You know what I meant."  
Mark closed the distance between them to press his lips to Jack's, all breath leaving Jack like he'd just been punched- kissing Mark was like that. Their lips moved together for a bit until Mark pulled away, his fingers finding their way under Jack's hoodie and shirt to his bare stomach and chest. Jack was panting at the contact. "M-Mark-" He began to say.  
"Car," Was all Mark had to say in reply.  
The walk to the car went agonizingly slow for Jack, but eventually he and Mark made it, Mark unlocking the car, and then opening up the backseat, stripping off his clothes down to his underwear. Jack went stiff. "Mark, what are ye... doin'?"  
"It'll be kinda hard to take them off in the car, won't it?" Mark said.  
"I-I guess, but-"  
"Jack," Mark stopped in unzipping his pants. "Don't worry, okay?" He stroked Jack's cheek in a soothing gesture.  
Jack nodded. "Alright."  
Mark smiled in reassurance and continued removing his clothes, Jack following in his actions.  
Soon, they were both naked save for their boxers and socks. Mark's boxer briefs were black and silky in appearance, only making Jack even more stiff, biting his tongue in his mouth. Mark took his hand and pulled him gently into the back seat of the car, closing the door behind him.  
It was cold in the car, colder than it was outside, but Mark shook out the blanket and draped it over their figures, encasing them in a bubble of creamy off-white, Mark staring down at Jack from his position above him, arms on either side of Jack's head. Jack was trying to slow his breathing down, arms at his sides, brows knitted together and body shivering.  
"Calm down, Sean," Mark was using that deep voice again, though it was more therapeutic than anything. "It's alright, sweetheart."  
"I-I don't t'ink I can do this." Jack told him, tone shaking.  
"We're not doing anything."  
"T'en what are we-"  
Mark's chuckle rolled out of his chest like thunder. "You think I took you back here so we could have sex?"  
Jack felt like his face was on fire. "Maybe!"  
That chuckle again, Mark leaning down to kiss at Jack's neck and shoulder. "I just want to be close to you, where no one can see."  
Jack involuntarily let out a mewl, feeling Mark smile against his skin.  
Gradually, Jack began to grow less anxious, just enjoying the feeling of Mark's hands ghosting over his body, his lips and heavy stubble going from his neck to his hairy chest, following the line of hair down to the waistband of his underwear and then back up to kiss his lips. Jack was moaning lightly, his fingers clawing and unclawing the skin of Mark's back, his nails leaving crescent shaped indents in their wake. He pulled Mark down onto him so he could better kiss him, Mark sighing happily at the contact of their bodies together, Jack just hoping he didn't mind the boner pressing against his crotch.  
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. "You're really hard." Mark whispered into his ear.  
"I'm s-sorry." Jack replied, shocks of pleasure shooting through him every time Mark moved.  
"It's natural. Don't worry about it."  
They kissed again, and again, soft and sensual, until they fell asleep cuddled together under the blanket, Mark the little spoon. 

∆ 

Breakfast was at Mark's place, which Jack was getting to see for the first time; it was very bare, much like his own, with a huge, pink mustache hanging on one wall. He huffed out a humorous sound at the sight of it, but didn't mention it to Mark, who was in the kitchen getting out Styrofoam bowls for cereal. "The bathroom's down the hall on the left, if you need to use it." Mark told him.  
Jack nodded. "T'ankya." He left his hoodie behind so he could walk to the bathroom and inside, overwhelmed almost instantly by how much it smelled of Mark in there. He peed, washed his hands and face, and then shuffled back to the kitchen, where Mark was scraping the burnt bits off a slice of toast. He looked up and smiled. "I hope you don't mind your toast a little burnt, I accidentally set the toaster too high." He said.  
"Not at all," Jack told him. He sat on one of the bar stools and started to eat his cereal, watching Mark move about his kitchen gracefully, almost like he was dancing; it was interesting to watch him glide from the cupboard to his fridge, take out a bottle of juice and set it on the kitchen island in front of Jack along with a cup, then spin around to get his own cup and the plate of toast that had butter and jelly on them. He sat down next to Jack and set everything down onto the island between them. "Look at you, wife material," Jack kidded.  
Mark laughed and bumped his shoulder. "Shush."  
Jack grinned and continued eating his fruit loops, taking a slice of toast and munching on it- still had that burnt aftertaste, but it wasn't too strong, so it didn't bother him much. They ate breakfast together in silence until Jack felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket, reaching back and taking it out to see who it was. "It's me boss." He announced to Mark. He answered it. "Hey, Sharon. What's up?"  
_"Hello, Jack, I'm sorry to call you in on your day off, but Kim's nephew is in the hospital so she can't come in. Can you cover her shift?"_  
"Ahm, hold on." He covered the mic and turned to Mark. "She wants me to cover a shift."  
Mark waved it away. "It's alright, you have a job, I understand."  
Sean smiled at him and kissed his nose. "Thanks, hon."  
"No problemo Jackaroonie."  
To his boss, Jack said, "Yeah, I can cover it. When d'ya want me t' come in?"  
_"As soon as you can."_  
"I'm on my way right now."

After thanking Mark for breakfast and giving him another kiss, Jack got into his car (which he'd left at Mark's place) and drove to work just as Sharon was about to call him again. As he was putting on his apron, Sharon came up to him; she was a small, burly woman with red hair twisted into a stylish bun and fair skin splattered with freckles- she was the only white stylist working there besides Jack and was affectionately nicknamed Merida due to her resemblance to the Disney character. "Oh, Sean! You're here! Thank you so much for coming in." She cried.  
"It's no trouble at all, Sharon. Always happy to help," Jack reassured her.  
There were four people in the waiting area: an older man who Jack recognized from a couple weeks before who'd come in for a shave, a mom and her kid, and a guy who looked to be in his twenties with a full beard and wavy brown hair. Sharon took the old man (whose name was also Jack), and Jack took someone named- "Ken?" He called.  
The bearded guy looked at him and stood up— he was huge. Tall, wide-chested, with large, hairy arms and long legs. He smiled at Jack as he walked up to the front desk. "That's me." He said.  
"Oh, alright. Ahm, have you been wit' us before?" Jack asked, turning to the computer.  
"Nope."  
"Ok. If you could fill t'is out, please, so I can log ye into the system,"  
Ken took the card and wrote his information on it, handing it back with a smile. "Here ya go."  
"T'ankya."  
Jack input the info into the computer, and then turned back to Ken. "All done wit' t'at! If ya could come on back, we can get started!"  
"Alrighty."  
Ken followed the Irishman to his work station and sat in the chair. Jack lowered it so he could better access all of Ken's head. "So, Ken, what is it ye want done?"  
"A trim all around, like half an inch, and take my beard down to my face. Like quarter of an inch from my skin."  
"Hmm, alright."  
Jack tied the apron around Ken's neck and took up his comb and scissors, beginning to comb out any tangles in his hair before grabbing his spray bottle and wetting his hair. As he was doing that, Ken asked, "So, what's your name?"  
"Sean, or Jack." Jack answered, beginning to part Ken's hair so he could start trimming.  
"That's a cute name. You're Irish, right?"  
"Yeah." At his name being called cute, Jack flushed a little.  
"That's pretty cool. Were you born there, or..?"  
"Born 'n raised. I moved here after college. What about you?"  
"I grew up in the South; Mississippi, and then moved out here to see what it was like."  
"How ye likin' it so far?"  
"Shitty," Ken laughed lightly. It was a nice sound. "You'd think I'd get out more with all that there is to do, but all I do is sit at home."  
"Yeah, me too."  
They both laughed together; Ken had an attractive smile and the loveliest brown eyes Jack had ever seen. They were nothing compared to Mark's, though. He finished trimming the back of Ken's hair and started on the left side. Ken watched him with interest, Jack could see him in the mirror out of the corner of his eye give him a slow once-over. It sent tingles all over Jack's body. He swallowed and started to sweat. "A-ahm, so, Ken, got any friends?"  
"A few. I only talk to one regularly, though. He lives in London."  
"You ever met him in person?"  
"Once or twice."  
"That's cool. I wish I had friends."  
"What? None? Not even a girlfriend?"  
Jack laughed nervously. "Nope! No... no girlfriend. Or... anything."  
"Oh." Ken furrowed his brows, then- "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't-"  
"It's alright. Not like you coulda known."  
There was awkward silence for a while as Jack finished up the left side and moved on to the right. A moment later, Ken asked quietly. "If ya don't mind me asking... what are you?"  
Jack frowned a little. "Ahm... bisexual, I guess. I prefer guys more, though."  
Ken made an agreeing noise. "I've never really thought about it. If I find someone hot, then it's whatever, yaknow?"  
Sean nodded. "I getya."  
"Like you. I think you're hot."  
Jack's eyes widened and he choked, accidentally cutting more hair than he'd intended, making Ken laugh lightly. "Was that too forward?"  
"A bit!" Sean was shaking a little. "I-I'm seeing someone right now, t'ough."  
That attractive smile again. "It's fine, just take it as a compliment, then."  
Jack smiled somewhat anxiously and kept cutting. When he'd finished, he spun the chair around and reclined it so he could trim Ken's beard. 

When that was done, he cleaned Ken off, then removed the apron, forgetting to ask him how it looked. He walked back to the front desk so he could ring him up, Ken following close behind. He took out his wallet and removed a card from it, giving it to Jack, who swiped it and handed it back. Ken took a business card from the pile on the desk and wrote something on it. "In case you ever wanna hang out, here's my number." He slid it over to Sean, flashed his winning smile, and then was gone.  
Jack picked it up and stared down at it, wondering if maybe he was more likeable than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love triangle? doubtful


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theres sexual harassment in this so if ur sensitive to that read w caution ❤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this went a completely different direction than what i expected but

It wasn't until a couple days later that Jack decided that he should probably text Ken so that they both had each other's number. He was still a little wary of the guy, mostly because he was afraid of him coming onto him- poor Jack wasn't used to attention, so having multiple people wanting to get with him was a bit reeling. However, he trusted that Ken was going to respect that he was already seeing someone and just wanted to be friends, so he texted him, _"hey its jack :)"_  
He didn't receive a reply until about ten minutes later. _"Hey! I was wondering if you were ever gonna text me :P"_  
_"Ive been pretty busy with work. Had to do a lot of overtime ^^;"_  
_"I understand lol. So whats up?"_  
Jack sat down on his sofa and switched on his Xbox. _"About to play some video games :P you?"_  
_"Same actually! What ya playing?"_  
_"Mass effect 2, my fave game in the series. Hbu?"_  
_"An indie game i found on steam. Hey do u wanna hang out some time? Im free all this week"_  
Jack tried to remember if he had any plans at all; Mark hadn't said anything, so probably not. _"Sure! Does Thursday work? Im off that day"_  
_"Yep! so around three? Ill text you my address :)"_  
Oh. Were they hanging out as his place alone? Jack was a little... unsure about that. _"Will anyone else be there?"_  
_"Lol dont wanna be alone w me? i get ya. Yeah i have a friend coming over that day too, dont worry :D"_  
Jack let out a sigh of relief. _"Oh ok. Ill see you then :3"_  
They talked for a little while after that, until Ken said he had to go to work. Jack marked on the calendar on his phone the date he and Ken would be chilling, and then set his phone aside so he could finish playing ME2 for the third time.

∆

The day arrived for Jack and Ken to hang, so Sean drove to Ken's house (which was about twenty, thirty minutes from his place) and knocked on the door, waiting patiently for it to be answered.  
He was dressed in a black T-shirt, his new pair of faded jeans, blue Vans, and lots of bracelets. He had in his black and blue plugs and had styled his hair up with tinted gel- hopefully he looked presentable.  
A minute later, Ken answered the door, keys in hand; he, too, was wearing a black Tee, though his had a piece of cinnamon toast on it wearing headphones and text that read "Stay Toasty". Jack thought it was cute. "Hey, Jack! Good to see ya again. You look nice." Ken greeted.  
"Ahm, thanks. So do you." Jack replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
Ken smiled at him. "I hope you don't mind running to the store with me. I need to pick up some stuff for later and I don't really wanna leave a stranger in my home, yaknow?"  
His Southern accent was subtle, giving his voice a pleasant tone that was nice to listen to. It helped quell Jack's anxiety about being with him. "Sure, yeah. Lead t'e way!" Jack agreed.  
They took Ken's car to the grocery store just outside the suburbs he lived in, listening to music and making small talk on the way; Ken parked near the front entrance and got out, Jack quickening his pace to keep up with him since Ken's legs were longer, resulting in him walking a lot faster than the shorter male.  
Jack grabbed a hand basket as they entered the store, staying at the side of Ken and holding the basket between them so it would be easier for him to throw stuff in. First, they went to the frozen food section to look at the pizzas. "Which one do you like?" Ken asked.  
Jack surveyed the selection and shrugged. "I'll eat anyt'in', so it don't matter to me."  
Ken smiled. "Just like me." He took out a pepperoni and supreme and put them in the basket. "Let's go look at the ice cream."  
The Irishman smiled a little and nodded. He walked with him down to the next aisle, where the ice cream was, eyes roaming the flavours- "Jack? Ken?"  
That _very_ familiar voice stopped both Jack and Ken in their tracks; a few yards away, near the aisle entrance, was _Mark,_ looking bewildrered but happy. Before Jack could say anything, Ken waved with a grin, "Mark! Didn't expect to see you here."  
Jack's heart was in his throat, pounding madly, his entire body becoming lava. What if Mark thought he was cheating? What if Ken said something that implied they were? What if-  
A hand settling on his shoulder derailed that line of thought. He came back to reality to find Mark smiling at him in reassurance, those beautiful brown eyes fond and glimmering. "It's alright, Jack. Ken told me already." He said.  
"Huh?"  
"We talked earlier about you. He knows we're together."  
Relief washed over Jack and he sighed inaudibly. "Alright, good."  
Mark laughed. "At least I know I don't have to worry about you cheating on me."  
Jack chuckled nervously. "Well, I somehow managedta get ya, I'm not riskin' losin' ya."  
The intense, adoring look in Mark's eyes was enough to make Jack turn red and lower his gaze to the ground; he wasn't used to that kind of attention, and in a small, but loud part of his brain, he didn't think he was deserving of it. "Hey! Are we gonna get the food or are we just gonna stand here?" Ken called loudly from the Ben  & Jerry's ice cream section; he was smiling, so Jack assumed he was joking around.  
Mark took Jack's hand and started to head toward the third male in their little group, Jack enjoying the feeling of having physical contact with him.

They mostly played video games at Ken's house, then broke out the foosball table and used that for a while, Ken teaming up with Jack against Mark, who didn't seem to mind, smiling and laughing and somehow managing to beat the two of them every round.  
Ken had opened up two liters of soda (Coke and Dr Pepper), which all three of them partook in, Mark especially, resulting in him taking a bathroom break after the fourth round of ~~asswhooping~~ foosball. "Don't have too much fun without me!" He called as he walked backwards to the hallway that led to the bathroom.  
"We'll try!" Jack replied.  
Mark rounded the corner and disappeared. When he did, Ken bumped Jack's shoulder with a smirk. "Having fun?" He asked.  
Jack was a little more at ease around Ken now that he didn't have to worry about being hit on; smiling, he nodded and picked up his soda to take a sip. "Yea, I am. Thanks fer asking me t' come." He replied.  
A shrug and another shoulder bump. "Hey, it's no problem, man. It's always nice to have cute guys over." Ken laughed.  
His tone was the one he usually used when he was kidding around, so Sean laughed with him- he was starting to get a feel for the way Ken treated his friends, at least he hoped so, anyway.  
"Hey uh," Ken leaned in a little to Jack like he was trading insider secrets. "You and Mark, have you guys, yaknow, _done_ anything yet?"  
A furious rush of blood flooded Jack's face, his heart skipping in his chest. "A-ahm, I don't think he would want me ta-"  
"Aww, c'mon, Sean, you don't gotta give me details."  
The taller man grabbed Jack gently by the arm as he moved in closer. Jack started to feel clammy and cold. "Ken, I-I don't–"  
"Jack, _Jack,_ loosen up a little. I bet you're a screamer... You look like one." Ken tightened his grip. "What's Mark like? Hmm? Does he use that deep voice to get you going? Or is he more _physical?"_  
When he said that, he grabbed at Jack's ass and squeezed, the action causing Jack to open his eyes wide and spill his soda all over his front. The momentary distraction gave him time to break free and put some distance between him and the guy he thought was his friend. "D-don't touch me!" He yelled firmly, although his entire body was shivering.  
"Chill out, Jack, I was just messing around." Ken took three wide steps up to him. "Learn to take a joke."  
Jack bolted for the door, but Ken was quick in spite of his size and snatched him by the wrist, the force and awkward position making him cry out from the pain in his shoulder. He was spun around and pressed against the wall, his head smacking against it, stars bursting in front of his eyes. "Don't spoil the party, bro." Ken's voice was a growl.  
"Please, Ken, ple-" Jack tried to beg, but Ken forcing his knee between his legs broke off his plea. He whimpered as he felt his dick grow hard at the contact and as a result pushed as firmly as he could on the chest in front of him.  
Ken purred. "Ooh, look who's hard already. Like to play rough?" He removed his knee and replaced it with his hand, palming at Jack's crotch.  
Jack didn't want this, he wanted to leave, he needed to GET AWAY! With as much strength as his shaking arms could muster, he shoved Ken off of him and ran for the front door, slamming into it with all of his weight as he twisted the knob, causing it to fly open and him to fall through. He stumbled to his car and got in, fumbling with his keys due to his still shaking hands and watering eyes; finally, though, he got the right key into the ignition and started the engine, shifting into reverse and peeling out, not letting his foot off the gas until he was safely parked in his apartment complex.  
There, he shuffled up the stairs to his home and locked the door behind him, sliding on his back down to the floor, where he sat and cried.

∆

He was curled up in bed later that night, wrapped tightly in a blanket, when his phone went off for the third time. The first time it had been Ken sending him passive aggressive texts, so he hadn't touched his phone since. However, this time, he had a feeling that he should answer the call, so he patted around his nightstand for his cell, found it, and pressed 'accept'. "Hello?" He said in a phlegm-clogged voice.  
_"Jack? What happened? I came out of the bathroom and you weren't there."_  
It was Mark, oh God. Jack bit down on his bottom lip to keep from crying. "I-I-I didn't, f-feel well, so I-" He cut himself off with a sob; he clenched his jaw and choked it back.  
_"... Are you crying? Jack, sweetheart, please tell me what's wrong."_  
Taking deep breaths, Jack managed to calm down enough to talk again. "Ken... we were talking... h-he asked me if I was havin' a good time..." He took a breath. "A-and then... then he..."  
Mark was silent for a moment before he questioned in an unusually calm voice, _"How far did he go?"_  
Jack's cheeks flushed at the question, but he answered it. "He grabbed my ass... Touched m-my-"  
_"It's alright, you don't have to tell me any more. Is it okay if I come over?"_  
"I... I'd prefer if ya did."  
_"Ok. I'll be over in about half an hour. Try and get some rest, hon."_  
"Mhmm,"  
Mark hung up, leaving Jack alone in the dark once more.

He dozed off for a bit, waking up to the sound of distant knocking at his front door. He got up, holding the blanket around his shoulders like a cloak, and shuffled out to open the door for Mark , first checking through the peephole that it was, indeed, him. He pulled it open slowly, the hinges creaking and making it more ominous than it should've been. When he saw Mark, his eyes widened. "Mark! What happened?!" He cried.  
Mark had a cut on his cheek and a napkin stuffed in his nose that was turning red; his bottom lip was split open and his knuckles, which Jack could see because Mark was holding up grocery bags, were red and raw, and one eyebrow was bleeding through the band-aid that had been put over it. He put two and two together and said, "You... beat him up, didn't you?"  
When Mark spoke, his voice was gravelly. "I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."  
Jack nodded and allowed him in, closing the door and locking the deadbolt once he was inside. "What's in the bags?"  
"Some comfort stuff I picked up to help you." Mark set the bags on the coffee table, then proceeded to take off his jacket and shoes. "I've got some Redbox movies and stuffed animals, ice cream..."  
As he listed off the items and took them out of the bags, Jack walked over to him and hugged his side, wrapping him in the blanket, as well. "T'ank you, Mark. For everythin'." He rested his forehead on his shoulder. "I really don't deserve you."  
He felt Mark softly settle his hand on his upper back and kiss his head. "That's a lie. We deserve each other because we're both awesome." He told him.  
"Then how come I feel like shit?" Jack surprised himself at how weak he sounded.  
Mark pulled him back by the shoulders and stared him in the eyes- that same intense adoration and love was still there, in those beautiful browns. "You're gonna feel like that for a while, but just remember that what happened wasn't your fault, OK? I don't blame you, I don't think any less of you, and you shouldn't, either."  
Jack nodded, forcing himself to maintain eye contact even though the intensity was making him shrink inside. He could tell that Mark wanted to kiss him, and to be honest, he wanted to kiss him, too, so he mumbled. "If ya don't kiss me, Mark, I'll go to sleep."  
Mark chuckled, that deep, rolling thunder one that always sent shivers under Jack's skin; they pressed their lips together in a mutual softness, gentle movements against the other, until Mark pulled away with a retreating peck at the side of Jack's mouth. Jack flitted his tongue over his lips and tasted copper.  
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Mark asked.  
"Yeah, sure." Jack agreed. "What'd ye get?"  
"Uhm..." Mark picked the three movies off of the table. Before he could read them, Jack stopped him.  
"Wait, surprise me."  
Mark nodded with a small smile. "Alrighty."  
Jack got settled on the sofa while Mark turned on the TV and put one of the movies in, bringing the remote with him when he sat next to Jack, who leaned against him.  
They watched B-flicks and ate junk food until they fell asleep, cuddled under Jack's blanket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what can u do tbh


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds out that Mark's a Youtuber.

Jack didn't know what it was, but Mark was definitely hiding something from him.

They'd been dating for over two months by now; officially boyfriend/boyfriend status, but Jack had this... _feeling_ in his gut, that there was a part of Mark's life he wasn't being included in- mostly, he was getting that vibe from the area of Mark's work. He remembered, somewhat, how Mark had closed up when he'd first mentioned it back when they first met. It was strange; he knew Mark wasn't telling him the whole story about what he did for a living, but he also felt like it wasn't necessarily imperative that he know... Simply put, he just didn't like being lied to, especially by someone he trusted so much.  
He sat back on his sofa and let out a heavy sigh, using his controller to select Youtube on his Xbox, hoping to listen to some music and get his mind off of this thing that shouldn't even be bothering him but it was, unfortunately.  
On his front page were recommendations based on music he'd listened to in the past, plus a few gaming videos from when he looked up the conversations between a few of the characters in Mass Effect 2. There were Mass Effect and Alien: Isolation videos, one in particular that caught his eye- the guy in the thumbnail looked an awful lot like Mark. Curious, he selected the video and it began to play. When the video loaded, a man began to speak from a facecam in the upper left corner. "Hello everybody my name is Markiplier and oh, em, gee, I am so excited for this game-"  
Jack's eyes widened to the size of dollar coins at the voice and face; _that was Mark!_ Besides the fact that he was wearing glasses and his hair was longer, that is. That voice was unmistakeably his, and the face was spot on. Jack continued to stare at the face on screen for a while longer, until there was a knock at his door. He paused the video and vaulted over the back of the sofa to slide into the door, grabbing the doorknob and twisting, stepping back to pull it open. On the other side stood Mark, dressed in a white button up shirt with the sleeves pushed up past his elbows and unbuttoned to reveal some tasteful cleavage of his chest, the bottom tucked into those dark jeans that Jack loved because they shaped his legs so well, and on his feet, light grey versions of those blue boots he always wore. His hair was messy and his brown eyes were shining; in his hands, he held a rose. "I thought I'd surprise you, since I know you don't work today." He said in that register just slightly deeper than his normal one.  
There were conflicting emotions fighting to represent Jack's facial expression, causing him to just stand in the doorway, staring at the rose in Mark's hand, trying to smile and be disappointed at the same time. Mark must've seen that, because he asked, "Jack? Are you okay?"  
The first thing to come out of Jack's mouth was, "Why didn't you tell me?"  
Mark's face fell. "What?"  
It occurred to Jack that he should probably elaborate more. "That's you, on my TV. On YouTube." He pointed to the video still paused on the TV screen.  
Mark sighed with a face that read, "god dammit". "Jack, can I just-"  
"No." Jack cut him off hastily. He pulled him inside the apartment and closed the door. "I don't like being lied to, Mark. I t'ought you trusted me." The Irishman told him.  
"I didn't lie to you. I just didnt want you thinking of me like a celebrity, like I have to be put on a pedestal. I know you dont have a lot of self esteem, so I was trying to-"  
Jack's expression went from disappointed to angry in a split second. _"What?"_  
"That- that came out wrong-"  
"You don't think I'm capable of seeing ye as a person? As my _boyfriend?!_ D'ye REALLY T'INK that _I_ t'ink _so little_ of myself that knowing you Youtube would what? Tear me apart? We're supposedta trust each other!"  
Jack had steadily been moving closer to his boyfriend, his hands moving quickly and everywhere, making Mark shrink back and shake some. "Jack, please calm down." He managed to say, his voice small and unfamiliar. It, plus the terrified expression upon the other man's countenance, qualmed Jack's anger immensely; he took a step back and clasped his hands to his chest. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I-I wasn't gonna hit ye 'r nothin'!" He cringed.  
Mark nodded, taking a few deep breaths and standing back up straight. "I-I know, but ever... ever since that one relationship I had, yelling makes me anxious."  
Jack twisted up his mouth as he put two and two together. "I'm sorry."  
"Don't worry about it. Let's just, try and talk, okay?"  
"Yeah." Jack nodded slowly.  
They walked separately around the sofa to sit down on it, Jack turning off his Xbox and setting the controller on the coffee table; out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mark fiddling with the rose he still held between two fingers, twirling it slowly by the stem and tapping the soft, crimson petals to his upper lip. He reached out and carefully took it from him, doing his best to smile. "Lemme put it in water." He said quietly.  
"Good idea." Mark replied, equally as quiet.  
Jack stood up and shuffled to his kitchen to get a cup, turning on the tap so he could fill it with cold water. To his left, he heard socked feet patter over to and behind him, anticipating what he knew was coming next- Mark slid his hands over his back up to his shoulder muscles and the dip before his neck, squeezing and then releasing to just hold him in an effort of comfort. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was a Youtuber." He said gently. "I was just waiting for the right time to tell you."  
"Right off t'e bat woulda been good." Jack cringed again; 'Stop being difficult, you idiot!'  
Mark chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. But I didn't want to scare you off. It's not a conventional profession, and my fanbase isn't the best." There was silence a moment. "And I just wanted to make sure you were prepared."  
That all made sense, but there was that stubborn part of Jack that was still upset that Mark hadn't been up-front with him to begin with. In an effort to move on and not drag the situation any longer, Jack shoved that part of himself down deep and stuck the rose in the cup full of water and turned around, smiling. "It's alright, Mark. I'm sorry I got so worked up about it." He told him. They kissed for a second, then Jack pulled back. "T'ankye for the rose."  
Mark beamed. "You're welcome."  
Jack walked to the dining room table and set the rose down, again feeling Mark touch his back, though this time, it was lower down, and his hands moved around his waist; he was pulled back to press against Mark, the larger male nuzzling at his neck, making him sigh and drop his head back onto Mark's shoulder. "I love you." Mark whispered into Jack's skin, dragging his lips over the surface.  
Jack's breath caught in his chest. He... said..?  
It took him a moment to process what had just been spoken to him, and when he had, he still couldn't believe it, that someone actually, genuinely, told him they loved him and MEANT it. "I-I, I love you, too." He said, breath shuddering, hands shivering from their place atop Mark's own on his stomach. Mark softly turned him around and kissed him, feeling up under Jack's hoodie to touch his bare skin, Jack finding that that still made him pant months later. He cupped the side of Mark's face and tilted his head, deepening the kiss as much as he could, to the level he knew his boyfriend was comfortable with. However, Mark took it further and slipped his tongue past his lips into Jack's mouth, breaking their kiss to go open air; it was wet and hot and turning Jack on immensely, his lounge pants making the boner more noticeable than it would've been had he been in jeans. Mark pressed himself hard up against him, dragging his open mouth to Jack's neck to suckle on the warm flesh there- the force of those actions caused Jack to bump hard into the table behind him, rattling the cup that housed the rose and almost knocking it over. "Mar... Mark, we should..." Jack breathed.  
"Yeah..." Mark caught on.  
Without breaking apart, they stumbled to the sofa and fell onto it with Jack coming out on top, which was kind of awkward for him since he wasn't used to it. He sat back, chest rising and falling heavily, straddling Mark's waist and looking down at him; his arms were above his head, his white shirt untucked and riding up to reveal a sliver of his light brown skin and happy trail, the front of his jeans tenting due to his hard on. His hair was somehow messier than it'd been earlier, pupils blown wide and lids half-closed, swollen, pink lips parted. Jack thought he looked angelic. "You're so beautiful, Mark," He groaned.  
Mark smiled his crooked smile and it made his face light up, Jack's insides fluttering just like they had the first time he'd seen it. "Are you gonna help me out of this shirt?" Mark was using that deep voice again.  
Jack turned pink, but reached out with lightly shaking hands to unbutton Mark's shirt, each progression showing more and more of the other's toned body, until finally his entire torso was revealed; there were scars around his belly button, going horizontally and vertically to it. He knew what they were from and lightly traced them with his fingers, his touch featherlight, travelling up to his chest, running over Mark's arms as he slid him out of his dress shirt, pulling it out from under him and dropping it on the coffee table. After that, he took off his hoodie and let it fall over the back of the sofa, Mark sitting up to rest on his left elbow, his right hand making contact with Jack's chest and stroking over it, moving down to his ribs and stomach, then to his navel. He hooked a finger under the waistband of his lounge pants and tugged a little. Jack gripped his pantlegs and tried to slow his breathing, his jaw tightening and loosening repeatedly.  
"I'll only do it if you're ready," Mark told him. "I know ever since Ken-"  
"No." Jack shook his head. "'M fine." He did a smile of reassurance.  
Mark smiled in return, then tugged the pants down enough to let Jack's boner spring free. Jack was doing his best to keep from hyperventilating- it'd been so long since he'd done anything with anybody that this was making him anxious. He wanted this, though. Hopefully it gets easier. The man beneath him spit onto his hand and then grabbed his dick gently, making him whine and stiffen up, trying to be quiet. _"Relax,"_ Mark purred, stroking lazily. "Be as loud as you want, honey."  
"Aah!" Jack cried, tightening his hold on his pantlegs and craning his neck. "Aaahhaaa..." He felt Mark speed up and lick the head of his dick and shuddered, a choking moan stuttering out of him. "Mark! Ooohhh~"  
A low sound rumbled from Mark, his wrist flicking with every upward stroke, that tongue turning into lips sucking on the tip. Jack groaned, almost growling, bucking his hips, one hand burying itself in Mark's hair and holding on, pushing down some. "Mark... G-God... hhhhh p-please..."  
Mark removed his hand and sat up some more, taking Jack deeper into his mouth, almost down to the base- close, though, Jack wasn't immensely hung. He swirled his tongue and bobbed his head, rumbling in his chest to send the vibrations up into the dick in his mouth. Jack panted, his hips moving faster, starting to whimper and curl in on himself. "Mark! Mark! I-I'm gonna- I'm so close-" He moaned. There was a tightening in his groin, a wave of heat, and then he came with a throaty moan and white in his vision into Mark's mouth.  
Breath heaving, he managed to open his eyes and see Mark undoing his pants and pulling his dick free- _he'd gone commando_. Had he planned this? Either way, it didn't matter. Jack tucked himself away, then placed his hand on Mark's on his dick, pushing it away so he could spit on his hand like the other man had done earlier and take hold of his boner, pumping at various speeds until he found the one that made Mark the loudest. Mark whimpered and petted Jack's head, gripping and letting go of his hair, all breathy moans and pornographic whines. "Jack! Ohhhhh~"  
Jack sucked on the head (which was as much as he could suck since he had a very sensitive gag reflex) and pumped faster, squeezing slightly and earning him a moan in a higher pitch than normal. "Jack! S-Sean, oooohhh.... hhhaaaahhhh...." He thrusted his hips and mewled.  
Pumping faster and using his teeth some, Jack was encouraged by how loud and inarticulate Mark had become. When he did, Mark cried out, "OHH! JACK! GOD!!" His hold on Jack's hair tightened as he came into Jack's mouth with a whimper.  
Jack zipped Mark back up while the man recovered, the two of them then cuddling on the sofa skin to skin, facing each other. "Thank you for understanding," Mark whispered.  
"Thanks fer forgivin' me fer gettin' so worked up over it." Jack replied.  
Mark kissed his nose, and then lips, Jack reciprocating in kind. "I love you."  
"I love you too," 

A couple days later, Mark announced that he had a boyfriend to his fans.

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thats all! Stay tuned for another jack au coming soon!


End file.
